Its Christmas time again. The season for giving and celebration. Everyone buys, buys, and buys gifts and presents for their children and loved ones. The kids get to write to Santa Claus and perhaps go and take a picture with him at the local mall. Early Christmas morning everyone opens their gifts, family's visits each other, has a feast and get's drunk and passes out. Then prep for the New Years Eve party next week. Kool...
But if I'm not mistaken, is not Christmas the celebration of Jesus's birthday ? I know that I have not seen one (1) celebration that honored Jesus's birthday in the form of a birthday party just for him ? Of course I'm not a Christian (but Jewish), so therefore I may have missed something ? Any explanation of why there is'ent any birthday parties / celebrations for Jesus ?

MasterOfPuppets

12-20-2010, 05:45 PM

Christmas' pagan origins

Few people realize that the origins of a form of Christmas was pagan & celebrated in Europe long before anyone there had heard of Jesus Christ.

No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth probably occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible records shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter. So why do we celebrate Christ’s birthday as Christmas, on December the 25th?

The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.

In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking. It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born.
In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.

Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule itself means “wheel,” the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Hollyberries were thought to be a food of the gods.

The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshipping huge trees.

In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.

Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany. A prominent Lutheran minister of the day cried blasphemy: “Better that they should look to the true tree of life, Christ.”

The controversy continues even today in some fundamentalist sects.

http://www.essortment.com/all/christmaspagan_rece.htm

ricardisimo

12-20-2010, 06:00 PM

Christ is a big fan of consumer capitalism. I thought everyone knew that. Just spend five minutes watching the 700 Club, or TBN, and you'll see the light.

MasterOfPuppets

12-20-2010, 06:40 PM

Christ is a big fan of consumer capitalism. I thought everyone knew that. Just spend five minutes watching the 700 Club, or TBN, and you'll see the light.
not true... you have to send a donation to see the light....:popcorn:

floodcitygirl

12-20-2010, 07:02 PM

Some churches do have "birthday party" celebrations during the Christmas season. Others that I know don't do that, but include various things within their services to honor the birth of Christ.

To me, the particular date really doesn't matter. I still believe that setting a time aside to reflect and be grateful for the gift of Christ coming to earth in human form is an act of worship and honoring to God. As far as all of the other trappings that come with Christmas, I think family traditions are awesome. Personally I think God doesn't really give a flip about trees, lights, gifts, etc, one way or the other. People always seem to find ways to fight about such things that ultimately don't matter.

Whodis

12-20-2010, 07:27 PM

U5yKfmjwIbg

vasteeler

12-20-2010, 07:31 PM

christmas these says is for santa not jesus

urgle burgle

12-24-2010, 11:14 AM

when i was a kid, i used to make a birthday card for the Big Guy.

caplovestroyp43

12-25-2010, 01:42 AM

Some churches do have "birthday party" celebrations during the Christmas season. Others that I know don't do that, but include various things within their services to honor the birth of Christ.

To me, the particular date really doesn't matter. I still believe that setting a time aside to reflect and be grateful for the gift of Christ coming to earth in human form is an act of worship and honoring to God. As far as all of the other trappings that come with Christmas, I think family traditions are awesome. Personally I think God doesn't really give a flip about trees, lights, gifts, etc, one way or the other. People always seem to find ways to fight about such things that ultimately don't matter.

Right On!! My mom seems to think Christ was born in the Spring. Guess we'll never know but I'm glad we have a day to recognize God's most Wonderful Gift to mankind.

therocksteeler

12-26-2010, 07:17 PM

Some churches do have "birthday party" celebrations during the Christmas season. Others that I know don't do that, but include various things within their services to honor the birth of Christ.

To me, the particular date really doesn't matter. I still believe that setting a time aside to reflect and be grateful for the gift of Christ coming to earth in human form is an act of worship and honoring to God. As far as all of the other trappings that come with Christmas, I think family traditions are awesome. Personally I think God doesn't really give a flip about trees, lights, gifts, etc, one way or the other. People always seem to find ways to fight about such things that ultimately don't matter.

:iagree:

I like ....... well put!

hicksfan

01-02-2011, 11:35 AM

all "holy days" are derived from solstices and equinoxes, our ancestors primitive understanding of the sun's movements through the sky as told by a "solar myth" that all "sons of god" (jesus, horus, mithras, khrishna, etc and so on) used as parts of their hero story personalized to their timeline, only the names change. the sun is crucified between the two thieves saggitarius and capricorn on the solstice and rises from the dead 3 days later to grow in strength. this understanding enabled us to shift to farming over hunter/gatherer in our evolution. the fact that easter is calculated by celestial bodies is proof of it's true origin. jesus is as real as the other sun gods that predated him. the sun was born of a virgin mother (virgo) and all that good stuff too. the 12 disciples all correlate to the signs of the zodiac, an integral thrust of the solar myth.

floodcitygirl

01-02-2011, 10:50 PM

I'm just guessing that Hicksfan isn't a Christian??? lol : :wink02:

shinoff2183

01-03-2011, 12:01 PM

all "holy days" are derived from solstices and equinoxes, our ancestors primitive understanding of the sun's movements through the sky as told by a "solar myth" that all "sons of god" (jesus, horus, mithras, khrishna, etc and so on) used as parts of their hero story personalized to their timeline, only the names change. the sun is crucified between the two thieves saggitarius and capricorn on the solstice and rises from the dead 3 days later to grow in strength. this understanding enabled us to shift to farming over hunter/gatherer in our evolution. the fact that easter is calculated by celestial bodies is proof of it's true origin. jesus is as real as the other sun gods that predated him. the sun was born of a virgin mother (virgo) and all that good stuff too. the 12 disciples all correlate to the signs of the zodiac, an integral thrust of the solar myth.

Well you put that way better then I could of ever said that.

hicksfan

01-04-2011, 12:22 PM

I'm just guessing that Hicksfan isn't a Christian??? lol : :wink02:

well, i was raised that way and suffered for it. the whole image, you know, is that eternal suffering awaits anyone who questions god's infinite love.... "believe or die"

hicksfan

01-04-2011, 12:28 PM

Well you put that way better then I could of ever said that.

i've read quite extensively on the subject over the past couple years. i knew that mithras and horus and others had identical stories to christ's but it wasn't until recently that i found out why all those parts were involved: virgin mother, raising from the dead in 3 days, miracles, etc. the all reflect fables about stages of the sun's travels through the sky. there's really nothing original about any of it outside of the solar myth itself. once you know the real story, you start to see how lazy they were slapping the bible together. there are still so many references to celestial bodies in the books that you understand why they charged heresy to anyone who knew the real story.

urgle burgle

01-04-2011, 05:00 PM

I am so glad that an innocent and interesting quesiton about why their are no Jesus "Birthday Parties, was taken over by Atheists, and turned into why I don't believe in God, and you shouldn't either. kudos for that hijack.

lionslicer

01-04-2011, 05:29 PM

I think its lame to celebrate Jesus's birth on christmas, I see christmas as a holiday that actually makes people feel bad for being greedy assholes and actually give presents to other people and be nice for like a week or 2 during the year. Plus christmas lights are awesome and Santa is realer than jesus.

floodcitygirl

01-04-2011, 06:57 PM

well, i was raised that way and suffered for it. the whole image, you know, is that eternal suffering awaits anyone who questions god's infinite love.... "believe or die"I'm sorry about your personal experience and I wouldn't consider disrespecting you by debating that point. Millions of people would disagree with you on your "facts" and have had much different personal experiences. Me included.

If I read the initial post correctly, a question was being posed, in a thoughtful way, for those who are believers in Christ. I tried to blow off your initial post with humor. I know it's not considered to be politically correct but quite frankly, I don't give a flying flip about your opinion on my faith. I think it sucks that you felt the need to express it in this thread instead of starting one of your own, which I could have chosen to read or not. Christmas, for many Christians, is a sacred and special time. I think being respectful is the right thing to do even if you don't agree about something.

steelax04

01-04-2011, 07:18 PM

What I thought was a decent read on the "birthday party" subject... I would tend to think that most midnight masses are sort of a birthday party, though.

http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/xmas/celeb.htm

I guess my issue is where Christmas is thought to ONLY be for Christians and people of faith. With it's beginnings built outside of Jesus and Christianity, I can't see it as being something exclusively for those that believe. It can mean lots of things to lots of people and not necessarily have anything to do with Jesus.

IMHO, Christmas is about spending time with friends and loved ones, and giving back... with or without any religious connotation.

ricardisimo

01-04-2011, 07:40 PM

Most of the ceremony and iconography surrounding Christmas is actually pagan in origin, so there's no reason not to consider it a secular holiday. And really, any excuse to get together with friends and family and eat and drink too much is legitimate.

urgle burgle

01-04-2011, 09:47 PM

yes, most of the stuff associated with Christmas is "pagan." the main reason Christmas is celebrated when it is, was the Church's idea to influence the "pagans" of their time, and to keep newcomers to Christ away from their holidays, which were widely celebrated.

hicksfan

01-06-2011, 10:07 AM

I'm sorry about your personal experience and I wouldn't consider disrespecting you by debating that point. Millions of people would disagree with you on your "facts" and have had much different personal experiences. Me included.

yup, christians have been debating against facts for years... who else supports creationism over evolution? i doubt you'll find the first incorrect statement in my posts, but you're welcome to try.

If I read the initial post correctly, a question was being posed, in a thoughtful way, for those who are believers in Christ. I tried to blow off your initial post with humor. I know it's not considered to be politically correct but quite frankly, I don't give a flying flip about your opinion on my faith. I think it sucks that you felt the need to express it in this thread instead of starting one of your own, which I could have chosen to read or not. Christmas, for many Christians, is a sacred and special time. I think being respectful is the right thing to do even if you don't agree about something.

perhaps you should have initially done the christian thing and forgive me over throwing a jab? the question was asked from a jewish member about christmas being christ's supposed birthday, a common fallacy on all accounts. i wasn't the first nor the sole poster to acknowledge the pagan origins, i simply expanded on that tangent. you're acting as though i took a shit in sunday school class. i guess i find the whole thing comical because it's christians who want to act like they have december 25th all to themselves when clearly it's been a date of significance since man has scribbled on cave walls. it's christians who get offended at "happy holidays" over "merry christmas". some even go so far as to say the term "xmas" is a secular plot to remove christ from the holiday. if you want to call december 25th jesus's birthday, buy a cake and knock yourself out. however, acknowledge the fact that other rituals have predated that notion for countless millenia and quit considering that idea a threat to your beliefs. it's the respectful thing to do.

moving forward, do i need to send you all my ideas for posts to moderate or can i continue with the free will granted me?

floodcitygirl

01-06-2011, 09:18 PM

[/QUOTE]Boy, you are a judgemental sort, aren't ya? lol

First of all, I have no interest in debating this topic. Generally I find it holds little value since neither of us is likely to change our mind because of what a person has to say on a message board. Beyond that, you seem to be a person who enjoys stirring up crap.

For your info though, I never said I had a problem with anyone saying that some of the contemporary customs of holidays have pagan roots. I am very well aware of their origins and why they were incorporated, as another poster pointed out already. I stated that I don't think that the actual date of the birth of Christ, or customs like trees, lights ect, matter to God but what is really important is the condition of your heart. I personally love ALL of those things as well as the food and drinking that comes with the celebration. :drink:

I believe I made clear what annoyed me about your posts in this thread. You seem to be reading alot more into it. I never talked about "plots, feeling threatened, or offenses over terminology" or whatever else you accused me of. Perhaps it has something to do with your past associations??? Anyway, I didn't realize that there was anything I needed to forgive you for, but if it makes you feel better, then consider it done.

I try to be respectful of others regardless if we share the same beliefs. I do admit that it's irritating to me that in our current society, while inclusion is all important, it does seem to be acceptable to belittle and be disparaging towards Christianity and those who practice it, unlike other faiths. Somehow the thought seems to be that because of "our" faith, we're supposed to bend over and take it....like we can't be outward with our beliefs??? BS.

I'm not a mod. I just expressed my opinion which I believe I still have a right to do, even in this country. I see you took me up on my suggestion about starting your own thread. I appreciate the shout out in the title too! :thumbsup:

MasterOfPuppets

01-06-2011, 09:52 PM

Most of the ceremony and iconography surrounding Christmas is actually pagan in origin, so there's no reason not to consider it a secular holiday. And really, any excuse to get together with friends and family and eat and drink too much is legitimate.
like the drop of a hat ? :hatsoff:

SteelersLady

01-20-2011, 11:54 AM

not true... you have to send a donation to see the light....:popcorn:

lol! im a little late replying but that is hilarious :rofl:

BrandonCarr39

01-20-2011, 11:19 PM

Alot of leaven has infiltrated the church over the last 100+ years or so.

First, we've had all these perverted bible versions which started with the NIV in 1881(which spawned many others to this very day). FYI - the 1611 King James Version IS THE True Word of God.

Then all of these pagan holidays like xmas and Easter made their ways back. Then there's the tax-exempt 501c3 status which hoodwinked churches since the 50's.

Rick Warren's New Health and Wellness Initiative
Could Have Profound Repercussions on Many

January 11, 2011

In view of the recent violent tragedy in Tuscon, Arizona, Lighthouse Trails wants to reiterate: The purpose of our critiques is in no wise intended to be vitriolic or hateful or to inspire hateful acts against those we write about. We deplore violent, cruel, and unjust acts against any person or groups of persons. Our purpose is to challenge those who are considered to be the leaders of the Christian church in the area of doctrine as it relates to the defense of the Christian faith and the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the Bible puts forth.

" Rick Warren's New Health and Wellness Initiative Could Have Profound Repercussions on Many"

Just ten days after Lighthouse Trails posted its last and most important article of 2010, Rick Warren’s “Apologetics” Weekend Should Apologize for Representing “Another Gospel,” we must issue this Special Report regarding a year-long event that will be kicking off at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church on January 15th.

Near the end of 2010, Rick Warren announced that Saddleback Church would be entering "a Decade of Destiny." He told his congregation that they would be focusing on several key areas, one of them being "health and wellness." The "Daniel Challenge" or the "Daniel Plan" is Saddleback's new health "initiative." On Saddleback's website, it states:

Gods’ Prescription For Your Health

Be a part of this transformational debut to be a healthier you!

The kick-off event is next weekend, January 15. We’ll hear from world-renowned doctors on a plan to get healthy and stay that way in the new decade.

Who are the "world-renowned doctors" that will be helping to kick off Saddleback's Decade of Destiny? Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mark Hyman. The video on the website states that this program has been "Exclusively Designed for Saddleback Church by Three of the Leading Health Specialists in America."

Let us get right to the point: The three doctors who have put together a 52-week health program for Saddleback congregants are absolute advocates and proponents of not just eastern-style meditation but actual eastern meditation and much much more as this article will reveal. Right off, let us say that if you are thinking perhaps that these doctors will only advise Saddleback on legitimate health advice (exercise, healthy eating, etc.) take a look at this video (taken place at Saddleback) between Rick Warren and Dr. Daniel Amen. Amen intends to help Saddleback participants to have good "brain health," which he firmly believes comes from meditation. In this video, he openly discusses meditation with Rick Warren.

What are the spiritual underpinnings of the meditation these three doctors are propagating? This report will lay it out for you.

Dr. Amen, founder of Amen Clinics, is the author of over 25 books. He teaches techniques that will improve "brain health," claiming that poor brain health is associated with a host of problems from overeating to depression. As Dr. Amen describes in the video you just saw, he includes meditation (and in fact this is his primary tool) as a way to have a healthy brain.

It is the nature of this meditation that sets Dr. Amen apart from any other individual that Lighthouse Trails has ever written about concerning Rick Warren. In a 6-CD set called Create a More Passionate Night, Dr. Amen has teamed up with advanced certified Tantra educator, T. J. Bartel. It is important that you visit Bartel's website to better understand the nature of what he stands for. By the way, when you hear Bartel say "Namaste," this means the god in me bows down to the god in you. We have discussed tantric sex in a number of Lighthouse Trails articles in the past, such as one called What's Sex Got to Do with It?" Please refer to this article if you are unfamiliar with this spiritual practice. In essence, Tantra or tantric sex is the use of Hinduistic-type mysticism during sexual intercourse. Please listen to what Ray Yungen has to say about Tantra and the serious implications of it:

Tantra is the name of the ancient Hindu sacred texts that contain certain rituals and secrets. Some deal with taking the energies brought forth in meditation through the chakras and combining them with love-making to enhance sexual experiences.

Once completely off-limits to the masses of humanity, Tantra, like all other New Age methodologies, is now starting to gain increasing popularity. . . . The potential to impact a very great number of people, especially men, was brought out in an article by a sex workerwho incorporates “Tantric Bodywork” into her services. . . . she has turned to Tantric Union to give her clients what she feels is not just sex but “union with the divine.” . . . Now the “multitudes of men” who come to her get much more than they bargained for. In the past, wives and girlfriends needed only to worry about sexually transmitted diseases from cheating husbands and boyfriends, but now their men may instead bring home spiritual entities! (For Many Shall Come in My Name, Yungen, pp. 115-116)

We are sorry to be so frank - but we must - we are dealing with Rick Warren, "America's Pastor" and one of the most, perhaps the most, influential evangelical leaders today. And in just a few days, he will be starting a 52-week health program that has been designed by Dr. Amen, a tantric sex activist! Dr. Amen expresses his strong feelings about tantric in his book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body:

In my book, The Brain in Love, I wrote about Tantric sexual practices, and was fascinated by the concept . . . I wanted to experience it for myself and thought it would be a wonderful way to enhance my relationship with my wife, Tana. . . . T.J. Bartel . . . became our teacher . . . I felt as if I had to share his knowledge with everyone I knew." (p. 283)

BrandonCarr39

01-20-2011, 11:20 PM

Continued...

Everyone he knows? Will that include Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, and even overflow to thousands of Purpose Driven churches? That could potentially be millions of people. On the video interview with Rick Warren and Dr. Amen, Warren states that Dr. Amen's resources would be available for those attending the seminar this coming weekend. In almost all of the "resources" by Dr. Amen, he advocates eastern meditation. In some of the books, he devotes many many pages to meditation practices. On page 238 of Amen's Making a Good Brain Great, he states: "I recommend an active form of yoga meditation called Kriya Kirtan. It is based on the five primal sounds saa, taa, naa, maa, aa." He tells readers to repeat these sounds for 12 minutes straight.

Many of you have heard of New Age leader Eckhart Tolle, whose 2008 book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose was highly popularized by Oprah. Tolle stated that the book's purpose was to bring about a "shift in consciousness" (pp. 6-7). In his earlier book, The Power of Now, he speaks of this "consciousness," what he considers a christ-consciousness:

Christ is your God-essence or the Self, as it is sometimes called in the East. The only difference between Christ and presence is that Christ refers to your indwelling divinity regardless of whether you are conscious of it or not, whereas presence means your awakened divinity or God-essence. (p. 104)

For more on Eckhart Tolle and the great awakening that New Agers seek after for the planet, read Warren B. Smith's 4-part article, " The Great Heretical Idea: Oprah and Eckhart Do the New Age Shift." Dr. Daniel Amen talks about Tolle's The Power of Now in his book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, calling Tolle's book "extraordinary."

Dr. Amen's meditation technique of choice is Kriya Kirtan, as we stated above. This is a form of kundalini yoga (see his book,The Brain in Love, p. 146). Those who have studied with discernment the New Age, know that kundalini (or serpent power) is the spiritual "energy" behind meditation. Ray Yungen explains the relationship between kundalini and the chakras:

The chakras act as conduits or conductors for what is called kundalini or serpent energy. They say this force lies coiled but dormant at the base of the spine like a snake. When awakened during meditation, it is supposed to travel up the spine activating each chakra as it surges upward. When the kundalini force hits the crown chakra, the person experiences enlightenment or Self-realization. This mystical current results in the person knowing himself to be God. That is why kundalini is sometimes referred to as the divine energy. According to New Age proponents, all meditative methods involve energy and power, and the greater the power, the greater the experience. (FMSC, pp. 76-77)

Dr. Mark Hyman, one of the three doctors who "designed" the "Daniel Challenge" for Saddleback , is another strong advocate for mystical meditation. In his book, The Ultramind Solution, Hyman emphasizes meditation, saying that it doesn't matter what religion one has to benefit from it (p. 322). Dr. Hyman suggests that "Mindful meditation is a powerful well-researched tool, developed by Buddhists" (p. 384). On the front cover of The Ultramind Solution, sits an endorsement by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the third doctor who will be training Saddleback on health.

Anyone who watches daytime television, in particular Oprah, will know the name Dr. Oz, a highly renowned cardiovascular surgeon. It was Oprah who featured him on her show for five years, making him a household name, which eventually led to his own television show, one of the most popular shows on television.

Last February, Lighthouse Trails posted a piece titled "Dr. Oz Tells Millions of Americans: 'Try Reiki!'" In January 2010, Dr. Oz brought a Reiki master onto his show to demonstrate Reiki and then ended the show saying, “try Reiki” as the #1 “Oz’s Order.” It would make sense that Dr. Oz would tell his viewers to try Reiki - his wife is a Reiki practitioner. One press release related:

Reiki Masters across America and the world had cause for celebration on January 6 when Dr. Mehmet Oz revealed his Ultimate Alternative Medicine Secrets for 2010 during his nationally broadcast afternoon talk show. He ranked Reiki #1. Dr. Oz said, “Reiki is one of my favorites, we’ve been using it for years in the Oz family, and we swear by it.”

As Lighthouse Trails has documented for years, Reiki is a type of "energy healing" that is based on the New Age chakra system and puts those practicing it into contact with the realm of familiar spirits. If this sounds far fetched, listen to what one Reiki master wrote in the Everything Reiki Book:

During the Reiki attunement process, the avenue that is opened within the body to allow Reiki to flow through also opens up the psychic communication centers. This is why many Reiki practitioners report having verbalized channeled communications with the spirit world. (cited in A Time of Departing, p. 97)

Recently, we posted a YouTube video that describes the spiritual consequences of practicing Reiki. The person doing the video told the story of one woman, who after practicing Reiki came into contact with 35 spirit guides, and she was unable to rid herself of them. They told her they would be with her forever. If you have not yet viewed this 10 minute video, it is imperative that you do. Reiki is a catalyst or channel, as stated earlier, into the spirit world. This is not a silly, nonsensical ritual with no meaning. This is serious stuff!

How serious? Consider this: A book titled The Instruction written by Ainslie MacLeod, is described by the publisher as the following:

Have you ever sensed that your life has a deeper, more meaningful purpose--but don't know what it is? If so, you're not alone. To help you and the millions like you, psychic Ainslie MacLeod's spirit guides have given him a systematic approach to uncovering who you really are--and the life your soul has planned for you. They call it The Instruction. Now, for the first time, this unique teaching is offered as a step-by-step program for realizing personal fulfillment. The Instruction will take you through ten "doorways" to unveil the life plan your soul created before you were even born.

In the foreword written by MacLeod, he says the "purpose of the book is to understand the coming shift in consciousness that is poised to sweep the planet. This transformation will affect everyone of us in some way." This book, which is given by spirit guides and lays out the basic foundation for the New Age impressed Dr. Oz so much that he wrote an endorsement for the front cover. He stated: "I recommend this book to those who seek greater spiritual well-being and a better understanding of their life's purpose." Dr. Oz's endorsement is also on the front cover of MacLeod's 2010 book, The Transformation: Healing Your Past Lives to Realize Your Soul's Potential,where he exclaimed: "Ainslie MacLeod is at the frontier of exploration into the soul and its profound influence on our physical selves."

Make no mistake about it - Reiki, meditation, tantric sex - these are very powerful mystical experiences that have the capability to delude and deceive those who are involved with it. While many of the health ideas these three doctors share in their books and DVDs are legitimate (exercise, vitamins, and good diet, etc.), these doctors firmly believe in meditation and want to make it widely accepted and embraced and have interwoven this belief into their programs. As Dr. Amen admitted himself, he wants to tell everyone he knows about meditation. Rick Warren and Saddleback are in danger as could be the millions who Rick Warren influences.

We urge all discerning believers to contact their own pastors and any other pastors or leaders they know to warn them about what is taking place in the name of wellness and fitness in the church. We urge you also to contact ministries who have, in one way or another, either through consent or silence, supported the "new" spirituality that is trying to enter the church and tell them where it leads. The wellness and fitness aspect of this is just another face of this whole movement that is impacting our entire culture.

In this plea, consider what Roger Oakland stated at the end of Faith Undone:

There are still pastors and churches dedicated to proclaiming the truth. Find out where they are and support them. If you are in a location where this does not seem to be possible, seek out materials that are available from solid Bible-based Christian ministries and hold Bible studies in your homes.

When Jesus returns, He will not find a utopian world filled with peace but one in shambles, unrest, violence, and war for having forsaken the Word of God, the true Gospel, and the One true God. Rather than being a time when He will praise the world for discovering its christ-consciousness, He will come as a Judge and powerful King (p. 230).

Let us hold fast to the truth, and in considering the fact that compromising our spiritual health and wellness is never the right avenue to physical wellness, remember the words Paul spoke to the Romans. He did not tell them to entertain spirit guides, practice mantra meditation, yoga, or Reiki. This was his instruction to believers:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12: 1-2

As important as physical health may be, we must remember that our bodies are only temporal. Yes, we should take care of them, but in the process we should not do as Esau did and sell out our spiritual heritage for a bowl of pottage.